Stores announced for North Myrtle Beach shopping center

Hobby Lobby and Publix Super Market will open their first Grand Strand locations late next year in a massive new shopping center that officials say could change the retail landscape on the north end.

Coastal North Town Center, a planned 348,000-square-foot commercial hub on the former Robbers Roost Golf Course, also will have TJ Maxx, Ulta Beauty, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Ross Dress for Less, Rack Room Shoes, PetSmart and Versona Accessories as anchor stores, officials announced Monday. Publix had said earlier this month that it planned to build a 49,000-square-foot store there and another one in Pawleys Island.

The shopping complex will have between 30 and 40 stores and restaurants when it debuts in late fall or early winter 2014. Officials also are pursuing fast-casual restaurants and smaller stores to round out the lineup, but said Monday they couldn’t name them until contracts are signed.

“It definitely will be a premiere destination center,” said Phil Wilson, principal of RealtyLink, which is developing the shopping center. “We think it will be a great addition to North Myrtle Beach.”

This will be the first Grand Strand location for Hobby Lobby, a Oklahoma-based arts and crafts store that has 565 locations across the country.

The shopping center also is bringing new life to the former Robbers Roost Golf Course, which has been dormant since closing in 2003. It sits among several subdivisions near 11th Avenue North. There have been other development plans for the property, but none advanced to active projects.

Construction on the shopping center started Oct. 2.

Pat Dowling, spokesman for the city of North Myrtle Beach, said the new shopping center will not only give residents on the north end of the strand more shopping options, but could lure shoppers from other parts of the Grand Strand because it will have the only area Hobby Lobby and one of the area’s only two Publix stores.

“It has brought in some new players to the community, which is good. People like variety,” Dowling said.

Contact DAWN BRYANT at 626-0296 or at dbryant@thesunnews.com or follow her at Twitter.com/TSN_dawnbryant.